


Breaking Point

by American_Oddysey



Category: Dragon Quest Series, Dragon Quest XI
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, i like writing angry jasper, jasper thinking everything is a competition between him and hendrik when its not, more angry jasper
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-28
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-19 09:27:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 987
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29748420
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/American_Oddysey/pseuds/American_Oddysey
Summary: “Anything, you say?” Carnelian sounds intrigued.Jasper nods shakily.“... How much do you want to see harm to Sir Hendrik?”-The world isn't out to get you, Jasper.Only Mordegon is.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 4





	Breaking Point

Jasper always thought he was above begging. That wasn’t something he could see himself doing, especially when he was younger. He was too proud for that. However, everything added up at some point, and with the cool glass neck of the bottle kissing the tips of his fingers, his best friend- no, his rival, his _enemy-_ in front of him, yapping away at things that the blonde couldn’t care less for, he was seriously considering it. Why was this man, a man who didn’t even want this sort of recognition in the first place, hence what he was complaining about now, allowed the highest honor of Heliodor? The alcohol made Jasper’s mind foggy. What was Hendrik talking about? Girls? Of course. Something as stupid as that.

“At least they like you.” Jasper mutters, pressing his forehead to his wrist, his nose pressed up against the table.

“Hm?” Hendrik raises an eyebrow, a little concerned at how much alcohol his friend had partaken of up until this point. Hendrik had hardly started his second glass. Jasper hadn’t even bothered with the glasses, he’d just claimed the entire bottle, which was nearly empty. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Jasper. You’re much more popular with the bachelorettes of Heliodor than I am.”

  
Jasper gives a pathetic scoff, turning his head to the side to glare up at Hendrik. “It’s why they like you is the problem. With me, it’s just as shallow as appearances.” Which he was meticulous with. The only thing he could surpass Hendrik in, though he supposed that was subjective.

Hendrik furrows his brow, now even more concerned. He sets down his glass on the wooden table. “I think you’ve had enough to drink.”

“I’m _fine._ ” Jasper reels back as Hendrik goes to take the bottle from him, snarling. “No. You have no clue, do you?”

“What…?” Hendrik guesses that Jasper is right, because he had no clue what was wrong with the blonde, what was bothering him so much.

“How you ignore me! How you’ve taken credit for things _I’ve_ done! You weren’t the only one to rescue Carnelian in Dundrasil, you know! Or have you forgotten?” Jasper hisses. “The pledge we’d made? That we’d do this _together,_ Hendrik!” Jasper stands up. “You have no idea how it feels to be tossed aside like you’re nothing!”

“Jasper-”

  
“ _Shut up!_ ” The blonde throws the wine bottle onto the ground, the glass shattering against the concrete. “You’ve taken everything from me! Every opportunity, you’ve outshone me! I’m not even a proper knight because of _you!”_

Hendrik keeps his mouth shut, now. Nothing he could say would calm Jasper down, at least until the blonde finished his tirade. Hendrik isn’t even sure if he would _want_ to say anything after Jasper was finished, though.

“I looked up to Carnelian as a father, after he’d taken me in after being abandoned like I was! And now- hell, even then- he’s so preoccupied with you that I’m an afterthought to him! Do you know how that feels?! To be abandoned? To have everything just to have the rug pulled out from under you?!”

Hendrik stands up, knocking over his chair as he does, slamming his hands on the table. “As a matter of fact, I do.” He says coldly, turning on his heel and leaving the room without another word.

Jasper let his arms drop to his sides, watching the doors shut behind the general. The only thought going through his mind being: _do you feel good about yourself?_ He clenches his fists. He should probably feel an ounce of self-loathing for that. But he didn’t. The rage only flared back up within him again, especially at the sight of the cape, the emblem, everything that was of Jasper’s own design that he was barred from using himself.

Jasper wasn’t above begging. Far from it. 

When he makes his way down the darkened halls of the castle, to the center of it all, he finds it strange that there were a distinct lack of guards. He walks up to the doors to Carnelian’s quarters, feeling meek now that he was here. What is he going to even say to the king? He doesn’t even have time to think how he was going to go about this to the king before the doors open up to him. Jasper panics and drops onto a knee, bowing to his king.

“Jasper? What are you doing here so late?”

The blonde cringes at the distinct lack of the title ‘sir.’ A brutal reminder that he wasn’t a knight, no matter how much he’d tried to be. “I…”

“Speak up,” Carnelian says sternly.

“I wish to be of the same rank as Sir Hendrik, my liege.” Jasper says quickly. “I will do anything for that title. Anything within my power.” It doesn’t take long for a feeling of dread to prick at his neck, his hair standing on end. Maybe this wasn’t as good of an idea as he’d thought. The alcohol was still predominant in his system, and though he didn’t necessarily think through his decision on coming here, he could definitely feel regret about it.

“Anything, you say?” Carnelian sounds intrigued.

Jasper nods shakily.

“... How much do you want to see harm to Sir Hendrik?”

“... What?” Jasper finally looks up to his ruler, finding the yellowish tint to the monarch’s normally violet, now green, eyes to be unnerving.

“You heard me loud and clear. Tell me.”

“... More than I’d like to admit.” Jasper concedes, eyes falling back to the floor, studying the patterns of the carpet like they were the most fascinating thing in the world. 

Carnelian seems to ponder the thought for a few moments. “Rise to your feet, _Sir Jasper_.” The king orders, though it no longer sounded like the stern but caring voice that the blonde had known for the past twenty-eight years. “You have a lot to learn.”


End file.
